Oxford Graduate Maths Specialist Tutor (BSc, MMathPhil) - Oxbridge Interviews, MAT, Personal Statement, STEP, TMUA, IB, A-Level, GCSE, Maths Challenges

Find out more about Stefanos

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I first developed my interest in maths when I started competing in Maths Challenges at school. For it was then that I experienced the beauty of problem solving for the first time. What has always appealed to me most about maths is being able to reduce seemingly difficult problems to problems which are easier to solve, and finding simple and elegant solutions to complex questions. To improve on my problem skills, when I was in Year 11 at school I helped found a school club where we would discuss maths problems at lunch time. Through this club, I came to realise my passion for explaining mathematical concepts and communicating these ideas to others. This naturally led on, in later years, to my taking up tutoring, a vocation which has allowed me to nurture this passion.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  Though I teach maths at all levels, from KS1 to university level mathematics, I have most experience tutoring more advanced mathematics, from GCSE onwards. I am particularly drawn to helping out students with the Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams and university interview questions, as I think my own education has given me the best preparation for this.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  I have been particularly inspired by one of my teachers at school, who taught me maths in sixth form. What particularly impressed me about his style of teaching was how he always made himself available to students who wanted help with A-Level content, and also those who wanted to go beyond the curriculum. He is one of the main reasons why I managed to experience such a broad range of mathematical concepts and problem-solving techniques, especially ones that were not part of the A-Level curriculum, before going to university, and I strive to replicate this enthusiasm in my own lessons.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  I think several qualities are required to be a good tutor, the most important of which are three. Firstly, I think that a good tutor should be able to explain difficult topics with clarity and concision, so as to help students master the topics which they find difficult. Secondly, I think that a good tutor should be patient, as there is nothing worse than a student becoming discouraged because their tutor is becoming impatient with them when they do not understand. Thirdly, I think that a good tutor should be willing to commit time outside of their formal teaching hours. This means both preparing a clear lesson plan, with well-defined targets and goals, and being willing to help their students outside of their official teaching hours.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I remember quite clearly how I was once working on a difficult Olympiad problem while I was at school. It was a problem which asked about optimising the area of a tricky geometrical shape, and initially the problem had me completely stumped. With the encouragement of my maths teacher, however, I did not give up on it - spending hours after school on consecutive days thinking about it and discussing it with friends and teachers. When I did eventually solve it, I remember feeling so thrilled and satisfied. The whole experience taught me how valuable it is to persevere in tackling difficult problems without taking shortcuts.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  As a teacher, one of the main difficulties I face is that of ensuring my students have a deep understanding of the difficult concepts. It is sometimes not enough to simply read a text book and do some practice questions, as one needs to know how to adapt to more difficult and unfamiliar problems. This is why I have a very diverse question bank, which contains both my own questions and those I have taken from the resources collected over the years. My students are always challenged to apply their knowledge in unfamiliar circumstances, and this ensures they have a holistic understanding of the topics we cover together.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I have a long-time passion for playing water polo, which I started playing when I was ten years old. Playing for the London 1st team, the Oxford 1st team and even for Team GB has taught me a great deal. On the one hand, training competitively for tournaments over prolonged periods of time has taught me the importance of hard-work and has shown me the lasting rewards of perseverance. On the other hand, I have learnt how to thrive in high pressure environments.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

  What makes me a Superprof is that I have a much better understanding than most teachers of how to do well in exams. This is because I have taken my exams more recently than most tutors, and I have achieved very high grades in all the exams I have taken to date. I have tried and tested many different resources and revising techniques, both as a teacher and as a student, and I know which ones are most effective for performing well in exams, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the content. This makes me uniquely suited to helping my students achieve high grades in their exams.